This visa allows skilled workers to live and work in regional or low-population growth metropolitan areas of Australia for up to four years.
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Requirements
You must
- hold a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa (Extended Stay pathway)
- be nominated by a state or territory government agency or be sponsored by an eligible relative (Invited pathway)
- be invited to apply (Invited pathway)
- have a relevant occupation
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- meet the points test pass mark of 60 points
- be under 45 years of age at time of invitation
- have Competent English.
Extended Stay Pathway (Currently hold a relevant visa)
You must currently hold one of the following provisional visas and complied with all conditions of that visa for at least two years:
- Skilled—Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)
- Skilled—Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
- Skilled—Independent Regional visa (subclass 495)
- Skilled—Designated Area Sponsored Provisional visa (subclass 496).
Invited Pathway
Be nominated or sponsored: You must be either:
- nominated by an Australian state or territory to live and work in that state or territory
- Sponsored by a relative.
You can choose the states and territories you are interested in when you complete your EOI.
Occupation: If you are sponsored by a relative or nominated by an Australian state or territory, your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations.
You must have a skills assessment that shows you have the skills and qualifications to work in that occupation.
Points score: You must be able to meet the points score on your invitation letter. This score will be 60 or more.
English: You must have Competent English (in the three years immediately prior to lodging the visa application)
- you have achieved a score of at least 6 in each of the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
- You have achieved a score of at least ‘B’ in each of the four test components of an Occupational English Test (OET).
- You have achieved the following minimum test scores in each of the four test components: 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking, in a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) test.
- You have achieved a test score of at least 50 in each of the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) in a Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic.
- You have achieved a test score of at least 169 in each of the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) in a Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test that has been undertaken on or after 1 January 2015 and prior to lodging the visa application.
Subsequent Entry Pathway
A member of your family unit must be the primary holder of a:
- Skilled Regional (Provisional (subclass 489) – this visa
- Skilled—Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)
- Skilled—Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
- Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 495)
- Skilled—Designated Area Sponsored visa (subclass 496).
English: There is no English language skill requirement for subsequent entrants, however, if you are 18 years old or older and do not have Functional English, you will need to pay an additional fee, called a second instalment.